Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews led from the front in the second Test at the Riverside on Sunday as his side avoided the embarrassment of another defeat by England inside three days.

Mathews made 80 as Sri Lanka, again forced to follow-on, stopped England strolling to a series-clinching win.

At the close of the third day, Sri Lanka were 309 for five -- still 88 runs behind England's first innings 498 for nine declared.

Mathews's fourth-wicket second-innings stand of 82 -- Sri Lanka's first fifty partnership of the series -- with opener Kaushal Silva (60) kept England at bay for much of Sunday's play.

Dinesh Chandimal (54 not out) and Milinda Siriwardana (35 not out) built on that platform with an unbroken partnership of 87 that took Sri Lanka to stumps.

Sri Lanka had at least stopped the rot after becoming the first side since New Zealand in England back in 1958 to be bowled out for under 120 in three successive Test innings following their 101 first time around in this match.

Sunday's second-innings effort -- something badly needed for their own morale and that of all those who want to see competitive Test cricket -- kept them in this match.

It also left open the possibility of a stunning, come-from-behind, win if they could set England 100 or more for victory.

SCORES IN BRIEF
ENGLAND: First innings 498 for 9
SRI LANKA:  FIRST INNINGS 101 
SRI LANKA: Second innings 309 for 5 (Silva 60, Mathews 80, Chandimal 54 not out; Anderson 2-40)